Love Isn’t Passive

It’s been just over a week since I wrote my last post and there are already more tragedies to add to the list. It seems like there is starting to be a collective “what in the world is going on” going around. Anger is being answered with anger. Violence is being answered with violence. What is the world coming to? It’s getting to the point where I worry that the next time I open Facebook or Twitter I will find out about another tragic event. As I read about all these events, I wonder what it is that I can do to help. Honestly, I don’t really have an answer.

Tonight, I was reading a sermon given by my father-in-law, Mike, and in it he said, “The truth of Scripture is that loving God is never ever passive.” In my last post I talked about how we as a people need to admit there is a problem. I think the next step is that we can’t be passive. So I sit here and think about what that means for me. As I get ready to leave on a mission trip to Nicaragua in a few days, what does that mean for me? When I return and go back to my comfortable life, what does that mean for me?

The easy escape route is to say that as a Christian I am called to love so that is what I should do. I should love people. But in dealing with recent events, what does that really mean? Does that mean I put up something on Facebook and Twitter saying I am praying for those who have lost and add the trending hashtag to it? Do I change my profile picture to show that I am standing in unity with those mourning? Do I write a couple of blog posts about it? Do I present prayer requests about the current events in Bible study? Do I give money to an organization that is working to change things?

How to not be passive is something that I am going to have to spend some time in prayer about. Because at the moment I really don’t know what being active in these events looks like. It’s a bridge that I have never crossed. But I do know that Jesus calls us to action. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. In it He tells us that our love must be shown by action.

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” – Luke 10:36-37

I’m guilty of taking a passive approach. The events that have taken place over the past month aren’t new, they are just in the forefront more than ever. And those aren’t the only issues that are out there. As a Christian I feel more convicted than ever to have an active love for others. I am not entirely sure what it is going to look like, but I do know that I will stop ignoring it.